Breaking news, social media feeds, emergency alerts- all of these sources provide a huge contribution to viewership rates. Audiences want visually appealing, stimulating, and relevant content from your signage.

Content can easily become boring and repetitive if it’s not integrated correctly.  Even the most dedicated content and communications team is going to have issues updating their digital signage regularly. Thankfully, the latest integration advancements make refreshing content much easier. Instead of creating new visuals based on your updated blog or spreadsheet, you can rely on digital signage software tools to do it for you.

Content engagement works best when audiences are exposed to a live, simple scroll of information. Feeds, like RSS, communicate bits of easy-to-digest content. This allows visitors to read multiple topics in a short period of time. Data feed integrations work in the same way; displaying bits of information perfect for on-the-go audiences.

 
Top 5 Ways Digital Signage Users are Integrating Live Feeds:

1. Internal News - Companies with a preexisting internal newsfeed enjoy the ease of communication that comes with live feed integrations. Users are able to transmit stories like “Employee Spotlight” and “Executive Messaging” in real time to their digital signage.

2. Menu Items - Keeping up with the daily, weekly, and monthly changes of a cafeteria menu is almost a full time job, itself. After integrating your digital signage software with live menu feeds, you’ll never have to worry about updating slides again!

3. Event Calendar - Creating a digital signage campaign for every event on the calendar is a task of the past.  Once the “Company Picnic” or “Internal Audit” begins, it’s entered into the calendar which transmits to the screens.

4. Sales Communication - Customer Relationship Management (CRM) data can change on a dime. By implementing a live feed, companies are constantly in the know as their digital signage displays up-to-date information like performance metrics and goals.

5. Spreadsheets and Presentations - Spreadsheets, like Excel documents and PowerPoint files, are the most basic data sources. If communicating data internally is beneficial, companies can have the integrations project the live data to their digital signage.
 

 

Incorporate video content into your digital design to attract all audiences

This is the seventh installment of our monthly digital signage content design blog, written by our Content Creation Team, geared to help users create visually compelling content.

Moving pictures have captivated audiences for over a century. Animation and video bring a special level of entertainment that appeases all audience personas. Why? Watching a video requires minimal effort, and the information is easily absorbed and retained.

Video communications are a whopping 600% more effective than print and direct mail. Viewers are accustomed to watching video through multiple mediums a day: TV, computer, smart phone, mobile devices, etc. In fact, 60% of media viewers will watch a video before reading any text.

According to ReelSEO‘s article, “2013 Video Marketing Survey & Business Video Trends Report,” 93% of marketers are using video in their campaigns, while 82% of them claim video has a positive impact on their business. Luckily, advancements in technology have made it easy to bring this magical tool to your digital screens.

Video Relevance

The luxury of video on digital signage is similar to hosting your own television channel, the content options are endless. If you’re playing video to attract attention to your screens, make sure your content is relevant and appropriate. A veterinarian’s’ office isn’t likely to play celebrity gossip clips in the waiting room, instead they might opt for a video about proper ways to groom your pet.

The types of video used on digital signage should depend on sign location, audience, and communication purposes. The lobby of a large business might opt to play a ‘welcome video,’ while dentist offices or hair salons may play news clips. Internal, employee facing signage minimize training time by playing safety videos or training presentations. While trendy retail stores might play customer created content or video promoting their upcoming specials.

Video Length

Shorter videos have a positive impact on viewers. Videos under 1 minute tend to have an 80% viewer retention up to the 30-second mark , while videos running at 2-3 minutes drop to a 60% retention rate. 4 So, stick to shorter videos to engage and create a positive impact on your viewers.

If you are creating the video inhouse, be sure to display the most important information first. Especially in high traffic areas where viewers might only be able to catch the first clip of the video. Think of the beginning moments of the video as the prime time to communicate your message.

Video is one of the most effective ways to communicate complex information in a short time frame to all audiences.  The motion graphics attract viewer attention, while the video content creates extended engagement. Incorporate video into your next campaign by downloading our free content package .

This is the fifth installment of our bi-monthly digital signage content design blog, written by our Content Creation Team, geared to help users create visually compelling content.

By now you’re on your way to becoming design professionals (if you’ve read all our blogs). We understand why design is vital to your digital signage campaign, and even better, we know how to avoid common design mistakes. We’ve discussed how to put in place best practices that drive audience engagement, and which color choices are best for your digital signage messages. This brings us to our fifth design blog: typography for digital signage content design.

A huge part of digital signage content design is function, and the function of digital signage is to communicate a message to your audience. So, the text of your message is extremely important. Typography can make or break your design. If no one can read your message, what’s the point of displaying it in the first place? The good news is, simple practices will keep the text of your campaigns readable and effective for as long as you use them.

Be Choosy with Your Typeface

Unless you’re using a handheld smart device, your audiences are going to be viewing your signage from a distance. (Usually 5-10 feet away.) Because of this, you’ll want to consider the type of font used for your messages. Text should stand out, not strain the eyes of the viewers. An easy to read san-serif typeface will translate well in any setting. The most commonly used sans-serif typefaces for headlines are Arial (28%), Helvetica (20%) and Verdana (8%). ¹

Try to limit texts to 2 or 3 different type faces and styles, per slide. This means that the body should all be one font and size, but the title can be something more experimental- as long as it is readable! Don’t be afraid to make these fonts different from each other. Using 2 similar fonts can look like you made a mistake and chose the wrong font.

Size Matters!

Just like typography, the size of the type plays a huge role in your messages’ readability. The further your screen will be from the audience, the larger you need to size your text. Lobby signs are usually positioned 10-15 feet away from viewers, but digital signs in data and call centers are usually 30-50 feet away. The chart below is a good reference point for type size to distance ratio for best readability:

Kill Unnecessary Characters

Just like an HBO special, too many characters causes confusion. The same rule applies to digital signage messages. The shorter the message, the easier it is for the audience to digest. Messages below 250 characters boost engagement rates to 60%.² Remember, you only have about 3-6 seconds to capture their attention anyway. A paragraph of text will actually divert their gaze, resulting in a disengaged viewer. Try to break up longer messages onto multiple slides and try to keep the character count limited to 55 to 85 per line.³ 

Alignment is Key

Spacing is important to any design. Cramming your text to one side, or to the top of the signage will look unprofessional. Text should never touch the outer perimeter of the screen or any images. The trick is to space out your lines of text inside of a mental margin while keeping the lines aligned. Our Content Management System, CommandCenterHD has horizontal and vertical guides to help process simple.

Remember, messages are the main function of digital signage. If you keep them short and sweet and easy to read, your signage will always be on the right path. Stay tuned for more tips and information on how to utilize best practices for your digital signage content design, without the $100k graphic design degree.

Painting the Picture of the Patient’s Mindset

Chances are your patients have used a sick-day to be able to make this appointment, instead of lounging by the pool. Chances are your patients’ anxiety levels are through the roof as they anticipate their test results. Chances are the last thing your patients want to hear is ‘Have a seat in the waiting room.’ And just as they’re about to text or check their email, they spot the “No Cell Phones Allowed” sign. So they tuck in and silently curse existence.
 
To ease the persistent boredom brought on by the waiting room, offices are turning to digital signage solutions. The electronic screen allows the transmission of endless dynamic content. All of the amenities that patients would be using their phone for (clock, weather, news feeds), can be incorporated into your campaigns. Patients will be entertained and informed by the content displayed on your digital signage, lessening their perceived waiting time.

-Digital Signage reduces perceived wait times in medical offices by as much as 50% (Arbitron).

Content that Benefits Every Office:

Don’t rely on mundane flyers to inform your patients of upcoming events. Alerts for Flu Shots, Vaccines, Blood Drives and more can be programmed into your digital signage campaign. Make slides that display office hours during the holiday season, and show support for disease awareness weeks.

Advise Your Patients Before the Exam Even Begins

From there, the content options only just begin. Dynamic content can revolve around one particular healthcare field, or many. Here are some examples of how offices can utilize their digital signage:

• Obstetrics and gynaecology offices can transmit pregnancy tips and information about recent medical advancements.
• Psychiatry offices can incorporate inspirational quotes and positive mediations into their campaigns.
• Pediatric offices can transmit puzzles, games, and fun facts for kids.
• Dermatologists can share information about common skin disorders and UV awareness tips.
• Allergists can create campaigns with food allergy myths and facts, and even  Pollen Level Indicators.

3 Ways to Benefit from Digital Signage:

1.) Clean Up the Office: Toss the old, bacteria ridden magazines in the trash, and take down the bursting bulletin board. WIth digital signage, all of the information you need to display is uploaded to a clean, sleek screen.

2.) Lower Bills: Integrations like Industry Weapon’s ‘Control It’ allows users to set signage on a schedule that powers off when no one will be watching. If the office is closed on between noon and 1pm on weekdays and all day on weekends, customize the signage schedules.

3.) Make Money Marketing: Instead of cluttering desks and bulletin boards with pharmaceutical marketing, advertise on your signage. It’s an effective way to receive revenue for the office.